Screens of Users

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1

hello

a doubt in mainframe/natural environment.

most screens that users work

are with MAPS
or directly into programs-natural (not-MAPS)?

2

Developers like external maps because the map editor makes it easier to visualize the screen. With external maps, it’s easy to create a multilingual system because Natural will invoke the appropriate language-specific map.

External maps are handled internally as subprograms, so their use comes with a minor cost in performance compared to in-line maps.

On Open Systems, “selection boxes” are available to external maps, but not to in-line maps. I don’t recall any other differences.

3

Thanks

4

in relation to maps and windows
there is some relationship serves more than for either?

or better is to use everything in maps?

5

I don’t think there is a real benefit to not using maps for screen oriented applications,
and I haven’t seen someone actually using INPUT statements for screen oriented stuff
since many years.

6

in short
always use maps

not use input or windows or other for natural

only maps, this?

7

Production on-line applications will use external maps more often than inline maps, but inline maps have their place. For example, to supply parameters to batch programs or to supply selection criteria for simple reports.

DEFINE DATA LOCAL
1 EMP    VIEW EMPLOYEES
  2 DEPT
  2 PERSONNEL-ID
  2 NAME
  2 FIRST-NAME
1 #DEPT-T (A26)    INIT <"COMP01" - H'FF'>
                   1 REDEFINE #DEPT-T
  2 #DEPT-F (A6)
END-DEFINE
FORMAT KD=T
SET KEY PF3 NAMED 'Stop'
*
REPEAT
  INPUT (AD=MDLT IP=F)
            *PROGRAM (AD=O)
        10T 'Employees Report'
        60T *DAT4U
            *TIME (AL=5)
     // 10T 'Employee Department:' #DEPT-F
  IF  *PF-NAME = 'Stop'
   OR SUBSTR (#DEPT-F, 1, 1) = '.'
    THEN
      STOP
  END-IF
  RESET *PAGE-NUMBER
  READ EMP BY DEPT-PERSON FROM #DEPT-F
                            TO #DEPT-T
    DISPLAY EMP.DEPT (IS=T)
            EMP.NAME
            EMP.PERSONNEL-ID
  END-READ
END-REPEAT
END

I know of one shop that uses internal maps exclusively because the use of external maps use more CPU.

What do you mean by “windows or other”?

8

The biggest advantage of maps from my point of view is: Maps can be language-dependant. And humans are language-dependant, too. :wink:

So only one thing remains: INPUT-Statements for non-humans - like Batches (as Ralph Zbrog already wrote).

9

the object “dialog” are widely used?

or are used only maps?

which aims to serve the “dialog”?

10

Dialogs are available only under Natural for Windows. They are not available under NaturalONE nor Natural for the mainframe (where most users are). They are here to stay because some large and influential customers use them.

Dialogs can incorprate Windows features, such as ActiveX controls, and can integrate MS Office functions.

11

Hi,
a question more about maps

how maps support the use of mouse

in mainframe environment is normal or you can use the mouse?

wonder if this is in connection telnet (character) is not possible
more from what I understand this forum there are many tools that are used to access the mainframe

12

The mouse can be used to position the cursor at a specific field,
but that’s all a mouse will help on a map.

13

Ok. Mouse use only to click field.

for creating menus:

what is more commonly used?

  • Menus with entering numbers / letters
    or
  • Menus with the function of creating menus map editor? (so the User can use the mouse)
14

If the map is displayed in a character-based window, then you can place the cursor in any position and press ENTER or a PF-key. Many mainframe-based applications rely on this to provide users with “drill-down” functionality - a detail line on the screen is selected with the cursor and then the appropriate function is invoked with a PF-key.

Under Windows, maps are presented graphically, and you can’t move the cursor to a protected field. PFkey-drilldown is possible only if each detail line contains at least one modifiable field.

But for menus, you can give users the option of code or cursor selection, because PF keys are not required. Under Natural for Windows, you can double-click a protected field. This has the effect of pressing ENTER, but the position of the cursor is known. By interrogating the value of *CURS-LINE, you should be able to “compute” which menu entry the user selected. For those who prefer the keyboard, let them select by number; for those who prefer the mouse, let them select via double-click.

15

ESC in map alwyas close all programs?

MENU → MAP_MENU → PF2 (INSERT) → program INSERT → MAP INSER (esc close all)

In INSERT / MAP INSERT (PF10 go MENU)

16

The ESC key is intended for use by programmers to force the end of an errant program during testing. For end-users this key should be disabled. Under Tools → Options → Output Window, set Disable ESC key.